The thread is irony at its finest.
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Free registration at the forum removes this block.To be honest, at this point I would turn down the client and mention the reasons why I'm not the right person for the job.
To your second point, what I mean by online marketplaces are platforms such as upwork, uber, urbanclap, thumbtack, etc - and matching supply and demand in this case relates to balancing incentives and on-boarding figures to make sure that there's healthy liquidity on the marketplace.
Thank you biophase for taking the time to look it over.
And you bring up an important point; I'm not a swiss army knife that knows everything about all of these industries and if this is what is coming across from the website then I need to make changes to it. While I do have experience working and validating businesses in each of these sectors, I am by no means an authority on either.
That being said, what I provide is more of a turnkey research service that let's clients go from "I have an idea" to receiving a report that:
1. frames their idea around a core proposition
2. an analysis of the market and
3. highlights the key issues and challenges the business is likely to face.
Over the last two year I've undertaken this exercise for over a hundred business ideas, although this is proprietary information which I cannot name or mention publicly. (But I hear your point on showing what a sample report looks like, will work on adding this in!)
Any suggestions for how best I could demonstrate my credentials in a way that doesn't make my business seem like a scam?
Once again, thanks for your time!
Disclaimer: This is just for us to see what the report would look like and give feedback on it, as well as provide an example you can use on the site. I'm not pursuing this business, so don't feel obligated to return something to me within a certain time frame, etc. I think you knew that but I wanted to be extra clear.
You tell me, man. In validating your own business idea, what was your plan for marketing your services?
Aren't you supposed to be an expert in bringing businesses to fruition?
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Regardless, here's my thoughts because maybe they'll help someone else reading this:
Where do your prospects hang out? Where can you come in contact with entrepreneurs, investors, and businesses?
You can go to meetups and network.
You can use referrals from your current clientbase.
Or you can post the link on an entrepreneurship forum with 50k+ members after joining one day ago and posting only 5 times...
My first thought is who is this guy or company that can validate my idea? What ideas has he shot down and given thumbs up to? How did these business do afterwards?
What kind of report do you get for $500?
You list almost every category possible. How could you know that much about every niche from Crypto to ride sharing to healthcare?
Let's just make up a business idea then, that you could use as your example on the website if you feel it's appropriate.
Here's a random one for ya: I want to rent a retail space at JFK International Airport and fill it with small "pods" that overnight/layover travelers could rent by the hour instead of having to leave the airport and rent a hotel. Basically something like this: Lengthy Airport Wait? Catch a Nap at a Pod Hotel
Is this a viable business idea in this particular location? Is there enough demand for such an offering? How would I even go about launching such a business?
Disclaimer: This is just for us to see what the report would look like and give feedback on it, as well as provide an example you can use on the site. I'm not pursuing this business, so don't feel obligated to return something to me within a certain time frame, etc. I think you knew that but I wanted to be extra clear.Happy to, super interesting and thanks for the suggestion! Let me work on it this weekend and get back to you? I'll post it here so I can get feedback from the others too.
Hey everyone, following up on Merging Left's excellent suggestion, I have gone ahead and prepared the report on his idea (Sleeping pods at JFK). Before you all tear it to shreds , a few pointers:
- Usually the first step in the process would be to have a 30-45 minute chat with the client to understand how exactly they are seeing this business idea and asking some questions to help narrow down the focus. For the purpose of this trial run, I've taken a few assumptions in the report which you guys may / may not agree with. Just a heads up!
- As Merging Left pointed out in an earlier post: This service is probably not aimed at seasoned entrepreneurs such as most people in this forum. I've had some time to think about it and I tend to agree, I see this more as a research note that helps frame the initial idea and compiles the best available market data for someone to decide whether or not they want to proceed with this business. I agree that execution is infinitely more important than an idea, I'm just hoping to provide more clarity on said idea.
And as always, really appreciate everyone here taking the time to give me feedback.
The app I'm currently working on automates most of what you've listed. Coming in June.
For a flat fee, I provide a concept note that frames the proposition, outlines the market conditions and key challenges that the client needs to be aware of.
How much?
So you're asking ME TO VALIDATE YOUR BUSINESS IDEA FOR YOU?!
I think you need to include a "sample report" on the website. Maybe in exchange for an e-mail, but I would recommend you just put it out there for all to see. $500 is a lot of money when all I have is a vague idea, no business sense, and no idea what I'm actually paying for.
Unless you're offering to run A/B testing and a short ad campaign to gauge actual demand, what you're offering is a much more theoretical report to what is probably a vague idea. You're not likely dealing with seasoned professionals here, and I think you should really keep that in mind as you structure the website.
It does sound to me like this service is primarily geared towards folks who are more of the camp "I think I have an idea but I don't know anything about business!!" than to the forum members here, which makes sense. Because of that, you might consider making it less formal. You're using terms that people who are familiar with businesses know, such as "value proposition", but that might not resonate with your true audience.
Also, if it's $499, just say it's $499. Don't make me fill out a form to get a quote that's not actually personalized. I rarely fill out forms for quotes unless I'm truly ready to buy. If I'm mulling it over and there's no price advertised, I move on. Maybe that's just me. At the very least you could include "Reports starting from just $xxx"
Your "Why Us" section is extremely lacking in detail. "Wide ranging experience across sectors and markets"? What does that mean? Who is the team, how many years of experience do you have, and what industries have you worked in? I see now that you answer that in the section right below, so it seems a bit redundant to me. I think you could probably combine those two sections to answer both questions.
Hey biophase, first off: I hear you loud and clear. I need to be able to show what I can do for businesses so a few examples of sample reports are next on my todo list.
On your second point; I'd really love to take a swing at it but I have 0 experience in animal accessories, drop shipping (I'm assuming) and e-commerce - so anything I have to say on this would be lacking in value. I know this seems like an excuse, but it's the reason I've put in the areas where I'm confident of turning in good quality work.
Are you ok with me sharing some of the sample reports with you once I've gotten them prepared? Would love to hear what you think of them.
Isn't the job of the potential founder to do exactly what you have done? How do your clients get any new insights?! You basically only provide information that is common knowledge.
Why don't you offer a different kind of service? E.g. the creation of a valid business model (e.g. Business Model Canvas; Every time in a fixed scheme)? This would provide a little more value. But its just a thought!
The app I'm currently working on automates most of what you've listed. Coming in June.Isn't the job of the potential founder to do exactly what you have done? How do your clients get any new insights?! You basically only provide information that is common knowledge.
Why don't you offer a different kind of service? E.g. the creation of a valid business model (e.g. Business Model Canvas; Every time in a fixed scheme)? This would provide a little more value. But its just a thought!
I'd be happy to have you involved in the beta, since the alpha is being done with a small in-person group in a couple weeks. I can't spill too many details just yet, but I think our ideas are different enough that we aren't direct competitorsWow! As in the process of collecting the data and consolidating it? Would love to hear more and be a potential alpha tester if you’re ok with it.
I'd be happy to have you involved in the beta, since the alpha is being done with a small in-person group in a couple weeks. I can't spill too many details just yet, but I think our ideas are different enough that we aren't direct competitors
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